Method for monitoring a parking facility for motor vehicles, and drone

Abstract

A method for monitoring a parking facility for motor vehicles, the parking facility being monitored by way of a monitoring device of a flying drone. A drone and a computer program are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for monitoring a parking facility for motor vehicles, comprising:
 monitoring the parking facility by way of a monitoring device of a flying drone, wherein:
 several drones, which each monitor a respective sub-segment of the parking facility, are provided, 
 in the context of a journey by a motor vehicle from one of the sub-segments into a further one of the sub-segments, a drone monitoring the one sub-segment notifies a further drone monitoring the further sub-segment that a motor vehicle will drive into its sub-segment, 
 one of: i) the drone directly notifies the further drone that a motor vehicle will drive into its sub-segment, or ii) the drone notifies the further drone indirectly via an intermediate station, that the motor vehicle will drive into its sub-segment, and 
 the intermediate station is one of a motor vehicle, or a parking facility management system for managing the parking facility. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the drone has a communication interface, and the method further comprises:
 transmitting, via the communication interface via a wireless communication network, monitoring data corresponding to the monitoring, to at least one of: i) a motor vehicle located within the parking facility, and ii) a parking facility management system for managing the parking facility. 
 
     
     
       3. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the drone has a processor, and the method further comprising:
 ascertaining, via the processor, at least one of i) driving data, and ii) a remote-control instruction, the ascertaining being based on monitoring data corresponding to the monitoring, and wherein, based on the at least one of the ascertained driving data and the ascertained remote-control instruction, at least one of: i) a motor vehicle located within the parking facility can drive at least partly autonomously, and ii) the motor vehicle within the parking facility can be remotely controlled; and 
 transmitting, by way of a communication interface of the drone via a wireless communication network, the at least one of the ascertained driving data and the ascertained remote-control instruction, to the motor vehicle. 
 
     
     
       4. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the drone has a communication interface by way of which a control instruction transmitted via a wireless communication network at least one of: i) from a motor vehicle located within the parking facility, and ii) from a parking facility management system for managing the parking facility, is received, the drone being controlled based on the received control instruction. 
     
     
       5. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the drone is operated in an autonomous operating mode. 
     
     
       6. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein several drones are provided, one of the several drones being operated as a master drone, the others of the several drones being operated as slave drones. 
     
     
       7. The method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the master drone remains in an immediate environment of a motor vehicle located within the parking facility to monitor the immediate environment of the motor vehicle, and the slave drones remain at a greater distance from the motor vehicle relative to the master drone to monitor a correspondingly distant environment. 
     
     
       8. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the drone encompasses a light-emitting device with which a sub-region of the parking facility is illuminated. 
     
     
       9. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the sub-region to be illuminated is defined based on a brightness measurement, so that only a sub-region which has a maximum brightness that is less than, or less than or equal to, a predetermined brightness value is illuminated. 
     
     
       10. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein, in the event of a danger to a traffic participant located within the parking facility, the traffic participant being warned by way of a signaling device of the drone. 
     
     
       11. The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the drone flies toward the traffic participant that is to be warned. 
     
     
       12. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device encompasses at least one of: a radar sensor, a video sensor, a laser sensor, a lidar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a magnetic sensor, and an infrared sensor. 
     
     
       13. The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the drone has a processor, and the method further comprises:
 ascertaining, using the processor, at least one of driving data and a remote-control instruction, the at least one of the driving data and the remote-control instruction being ascertained based on monitoring data corresponding to the monitoring, wherein, based upon the at least one of the driving data and the remote-control instruction, a motor vehicle located within the parking facility at least one of: i) can drive at least partly autonomously, and ii) can be remotely controlled; and 
 transmitting the at least one of ascertained driving data and ascertained remote-control instruction being transmitted by way of a communication interface of the drone via a wireless communication network, to a parking facility management system for managing the parking facility. 
 
     
     
       14. A drone for monitoring a parking facility for motor vehicles, the drone including a monitoring device and being configured to monitor the parking facility using the monitoring device, as the drone is flying, wherein:
 the drone cooperates with several other drones, which each drone monitoring monitor a respective sub-segment of the parking facility, 
 in the context of a journey by a motor vehicle from one of the sub-segments into a further one of the sub-segments, a drone monitoring the one sub-segment notifying a further drone monitoring the further sub-segment that a motor vehicle will drive into its sub-segment, 
 one of: i) the drone directly notifies the further drone that a motor vehicle will drive into its sub-segment, or ii) the drone notifies the further drone indirectly via an intermediate station, that the motor vehicle will drive into its sub-segment, and 
 the intermediate station is one of a motor vehicle, or a parking facility management system for managing the parking facility. 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for monitoring a parking facility for motor vehicles, the computer program, when executed by a processor of a drone, causing the processor to perform:
 monitoring the parking facility by way of a monitoring device as the drone is flying, wherein:
 several drones, which each monitor a respective sub-segment of the parking facility, are provided, 
 in the context of a journey by a motor vehicle from one of the sub-segments into a further one of the sub-segments, a drone monitoring the one sub-segment notifies a further drone monitoring the further sub-segment that a motor vehicle will drive into its sub-segment, 
 one of: i) the drone directly notifies the further drone that a motor vehicle will drive into its sub-segment, or ii) the drone notifies the further drone indirectly via an intermediate station, that the motor vehicle will drive into its sub-segment, and 
 the intermediate station is one of a motor vehicle, or a parking facility management system for managing the parking facility.